Update: Roo with injured beak; need formula for force feeding

Wynette

Crowing
Premium Feather Member
12 Years
Sep 25, 2007
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Michigan
My year-old standard sized roo has a beak injury. I'm ashamed to say that I kicked him.....reacting to him attacking me. I am NOT a proponent of kicking an animal, it was a reaction, and I wish I could rewind time now.

His bottom beak is now not aligned with the top, and it's not closing all the way.

I removed him from the main run and he's in my recuperating cage alone. This happened on Saturday afternoon, and I hand fed him some food (feed pellets, BOSS, some cooked egg) which he had no problem swallowing down, but it appeared he wasn't eating on his own (no food missing from the cage cups). I've been hand feeding him since then, and this morning, he really put up a fuss. I thought maybe he was depressed, because otherwise he seems fine (normal poop, crowing quite a lot, etc.). So I decided to put him back with his girls to see how he'd do. He seems fine; but - he cannot pick up food. I even tried whole corn, thinking it's bigger and he'd be able to pick it up. Nope! He tries and tries, and it SEEMS like he can pick things up but they just fall right out of his mouth. So I'm wondering if he's now got some sort of swelling in his neck or something....but then, wouldn't that have shown up before now, since injury happened 3 days ago?

Taking him to the vet's not an option. So, I'm hoping that I can make a sort of slurry and force feed him with a syringe for a few days to see how he does.

I was thinking of yogurt, egg, some softened feed pellets, maybe all wet down with Pedialyte? I have no idea what the best "slurry" will be - it need to be thin enough to suck up into a syringe, but not too awfully watery. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Many, many thanks.
 
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I think you are on the right track there.

Personally, I'd just make a thin gruel out of his feed - and you could add whatever else you think would help like yogurt and/or electrolytes, etc.

Just take the pellets and soak them in enough water, and/or use your blender to puree it all together. If you add enough water you will be able to syringe feed him.

Make sure though that if you syringe feed him that you are careful NOT to get the syringe in the wrong pipe and push food down in his lungs.

If they can keep Mike the headless chicken alive for over a year, I'm sure you can do the same for your guy until either he feels better or it becomes obvious the beak is not going to heal.

Good luck with him!
 
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The BLENDER! Gosh, I can't believe that hadn't occurred to me. Thanks so much, Arlee453! Do you think if I warm it up in the microwave it'll be more palatable to him, or not make much difference? Thanks again for your feedback - it's GREATLY appreciated. I want to do whatever I can for my boy!
 
Could his jaw just be out of joint?
If it is, you can just try and put it back...

Another good thing to have on hand is baby bird handfeeding formula...all the petshops have it in their bird section.
 
I don't think his jaw is out of joint, although I could be wrong. His bottom beak was sort of hanging (well, not really hanging....just pointing) down. At the tips of his beak, there is a gap about 1/2". He can't close it all the way. I suspect his bottom beak is broken, near his head. Just makes me shudder, knowing I did it to him.
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your bird will need to feed out of a deep dish (this way he can scoop it up , tilt his head back and swallow...this is the method all crook beaks need too)...
get a mash type grower feed, and also some hand feeding formula (for baby parrots) and mix the two.... also offer him yogurt with the feed sprinkled on top of it...see which of the two he prefers.
 
These things happen...he will heal eventually and he should be fine...I've punted my crabby Leghorn for a field goal a couple of times when she was pulling the feathers out of her little buddy...so I know how you feel.
 
Thanks - I'll pick up the handfeeding formula for baby parrots tonight.

Thanks so much for your kind words, spottedcrow. I almost didn't post on this because I felt so awful about it - I'm glad I did.

Is it okay to leave him with his girls, or should I separate him?
 

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